Two speakers at the American Telemedicine Association’s annual meeting last week had positive words for the convenient care industry and essentially told attendees what Drug Store News has been saying for some time: Retail clinics are poised for significant growth.

The recent loss of business from a key specialty pharmacy customer and the continued deluge of generic introductions will represent significant challenges for Cardinal Health in fiscal year 2013 as it approaches the year-end of its fiscal 2012, company executives told analysts during a conference call Thursday morning.

CVS Caremark president and CEO Larry Merlo told analysts Wednesday morning that he was “very pleased” with the company's first quarter, as results across both the retail and pharmacy benefit management segments came in at the high end of expectations, and its integrated assets continue to demonstrate success and improve patient lives.

CVS Caremark announced today its partnership with The Miracle Project, a nonprofit organization that creates social skills programs for children with autism through the performing arts, to expand The Miracle Project School Inclusion Program to public schools in San Diego and San Jose, Calif.

CVS/pharmacy took center stage on the latest episode of "The Doctors," as one of the chain's pharmacists sat down with one of the show's co-hosts to discuss how patients can manage diabetes on a budget.

The Drug Store News Group on Sunday co-hosted a breakfast with CVS Caremark. Larry Merlo, CVS Caremark president and CEO, shared with attendees CVS’ focus on leveraging personalization opportunities, through both marketing and assortment, to engender loyalty. And suppliers were introduced to new CVS/pharmacy president Mark Cosby and chief merchant Judy Sansone.

Medicare Part D beneficiaries with cardiovascular conditions who had no financial assistance during the "doughnut hole" coverage gap were 57% more likely to discontinue their cardiovascular medications than those beneficiaries who had consistent drug coverage, according to a study conducted by researchers from Harvard University, Brigham and Women's Hospital and CVS Caremark.

Customer loyalty has always been paramount for retailers, but as we wade into 2012 and beyond, it is becoming increasingly evident that retailers have a renewed focus on establishing a strong sense of loyalty and creating an engaging customer experience through cross-channel initiatives that are touching customers both in and — perhaps more importantly — out of the store.

“You vs. Flu … you win with a flu shot!” Of course, patients aren’t the only winners now that pharmacies are actively touting their flu shot and other vaccination services. It’s quick. It’s easy. And it’s driving the number of flu shots delivered each season.

CVS/pharmacy officially announced on Wednesday the April schedule of Project Health (Proyecto Salud in Spanish), a wellness program delivering more than $21 million worth of free health screenings to multicultural communities throughout 2012.

CVS Caremark is showcasing how it is helping aging “boomers” on their path to better health and its senior-focused initiatives at Aging in America, the 2012 Annual Conference of the American Society on Aging, which is being held in Washington, D.C., this week.

CVS Caremark issued on Tuesday two new reports that highlight research the company is conducting around medication adherence, including one study that reviews and compares state-by-state adherence rates for patients managing four chronic diseases.

The news that CVS/pharmacy is closing all of its upscale Beauty360 stores may have raised a few eyebrows — or perhaps not — but now it will be interesting to see the changes that occur in store and online in beauty.

CVS/pharmacy is shuttering all of its Beauty360 locations and ceasing operation of the Beauty360 e-commerce business to focus on the growth of its core CVS/pharmacy beauty business, the retailer confirmed on Wednesday.

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SPECIAL REPORTS

Are we in the midst of a beauty revolution? Perhaps. It is no secret that the ever-changing beauty category is all about trends, but one could argue that we are embarking on an especially interesting time in beauty as technology is changing the way consumers shop and new innovations strive to break through the noise.

In this beauty report, Drug Store News takes a deeper dive into some of the leading trends that are reshaping beauty.more ...

IN THIS ISSUE

In this issue, DSN examines PricewaterhouseCoopers' "Top Health Industry Issues for 2015;" takes you on a tour of Murad, shares beauty trends and insights and delves into location-based technology and how it is revolutionizing health, retail.Click here to view the issue.